At least Rhode Island is moving in the right direction. Last time it ranked 50th.

That's all according to the latest Annual Highway Report issued by the Reason Foundation.

The organization said that although Rhode Island, at 1,112 miles, has the second-smallest state-owned highway system, it spends 2.4 times as much on roads as the national average, ranking it 42nd in per-mile spending.

"Despite this level of spending," the foundation said in its report, "the highway system has three significant problem areas: deficient bridges (which are 2.25 times the national average, ranked 50th -- last), rural arterials in poor condition (which are almost 16 times the national average -- ranked 49th) and urban interstate congestion (23 percent above the national average -- ranked 42nd). The state's fatality rate ranks 19th. The bottom line is that Rhode Island is spending two to three times the national per-mile average on its state road system, but its rural non-interstate roads, deficient bridges and urban congestion aren't improving. The state spent $345,970 per mile in 2009."